WATER-IMPOUNDING INFRA EYED NEAR NCR

to be accredited for the program. Prevalent stunting

DOH Secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa stressed the importance of addressing the prevalence of malnutrition and stunting due to its potential impact on the country’s future workforce.

Stunting is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as low height-for-age.

Currently, Herbosa said stunting affects 21.6 percent of infants who are 0 to 23-months old; and 28.7 percent of children under five years old.

The effects of malnutrition and stunting, you don’t recover it like a wound, which heals; it’s permanent,” the DOH chief said.

That’s why if you want a human capital or citizens, who will work to be intelligent and pass school, you really need to feed them well during their early life years,” he added.

H e said they hope the food stamp program together with other government interventions such as the promotion of breastfeeding will help reduce the stunting incidents by 50 percent.

TO control flooding and ensure water supply in Luzon, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the construction of water-impounding facilities near Metro Manila.

M arcos gave the instruction after being briefed by members of the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) and other government agencies on the government’s comprehensive water management plan.

“So that will be the location where we will control [floodwaters] so it will no longer enter Manila and we will be able to collect water for agriculture and other uses,” Marcos said.

We should not waste [flood] water because we need it. So let us find a way to store it,” he added.

T he President said they are now eyeing several possible locations for the impounding facilities.

D uring the meeting, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) gave updates on their P351- billion flood control programs, and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on their management of dammed rivers.

M arcos ordered a review of the flood control projects of DPWH to determine if the agency need additional funds for the purpose.

A mong those highlighted in the briefing were the ongoing flood control projects in Pampanga, Cavite, Leyte and Cagayan De Oro City; as well as those in the pipeline in the Abra River Basin, Ranao River Basin, Tagum-Libuganon River Basin, and the Central Luzon-Pampanga.

A lso discussed were the P5.86-billion rainwater collection system program under Republic Act No. 6716; installation of 6,002 rainwater collection systems nationwide; and the construction of access roads leading to irrigation areas identified by the NIA under the Katubigan Program implemented jointly with the DPWH.